Sex steroid hormones and receptors in relation to S-phase fraction and ploidy level in endometrial carcinoma.

Although endogenous hormones exert an effect on the proliferation of endometria adenocarcinoma, there also seems to be an autonomous proliferation of the malignant cells. Simultaneous measurement of endocrine and cell proliferation related variables in endometrial adenocarcinoma specimens are expected to increase the understanding of factors responsible for progression or regression of this form of cancer. Sixty patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma were examined. The following parameters were analysed: endogenous plasma concentration of oestradiol, oestrone, progesterone, androstenedione and testosterone; S-phase fraction (SPF) and ploidy level, by flow cytometry; oestrogen and progesterone receptors, by immunohistochemistry. The oestrogen receptor positive tumours had a lower S-phase fraction that receptor negative tumours (p < 0.05), but SPF was still under the mean for the whole group. ER positive tumours were all diploid, while progesterone receptors were found also in aneuploid tumours. The presence of PR did not relate to lower SPF, but in an earlier study increased progesterone concentration was found to relate to lower SPF, and the antiproliferative effect of progesterone was also seen in more malignant tumours.